Hawaii Again Declares Obama Birth Certificate Real

HONOLULU — State officials in Hawaii on Monday said they have once again checked and confirmed that President Barack Obama was born in Hawaii and is a natural-born American citizen, and therefore meets a key constitutional requirement for being president.

They hoped to stem a recent surge in the number of inquiries about Obama's birthplace.

"I ... have seen the original vital records maintained on file by the Hawaii State Department of Health verifying Barack Hussein Obama was born in Hawaii and is a natural-born American citizen," Health Director Dr. Chiyome Fukino said in a brief statement. "I have nothing further to add to this statement or my original statement issued in October 2008 over eight months ago."

So-called "birthers" – who claim Obama is ineligible to be president because, they argue, he was actually born outside the United States – have grown more vocal recently on blogs and television news shows.

Fukino issued a similar press release Oct. 31, but was prompted to speak out again because of the renewed attention on Obama's beginnings. Hawaii's Health Department has been flooded in recent weeks with questions from individuals and several national TV news networks asking for proof that Obama was indeed born in Hawaii.

"They just keep asking over and over and over again," Health Department spokeswoman Janice Okubo said.

The Constitution states that a person must be a "natural-born citizen" to be eligible for the presidency. Birthers contend that Obama's birth certificate is a fake, and many say he was actually born in Kenya, his father's homeland. They've challenged his citizenship in court.

One widely circulated YouTube clip of a town hall meeting showed a Republican congressman getting booed for saying Obama is a citizen. Talk show host Rush Limbaugh and CNN's Lou Dobbs have also raised the issue, and 10 Republican members of Congress co-sponsored a bill that would require future presidential candidates to provide a copy of their original birth certificate.

However, it appears Congress has moved on and has accepted Obama's island birthplace. The U.S. House on Monday unanimously approved a resolution recognizing and celebrating the 50th anniversary of Hawaii becoming the 50th state. A clause was included that reads: "Whereas the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961."

State law bars the release of a certified birth certificate to anyone who does not have a tangible interest.

However, Obama's birth certificate along with birth notices from the two Honolulu newspapers were brought forward even before he took office. But that's done nothing to shake the belief by many Obama critics that the president was born abroad.

Comments

[posnak]

When I needed a copy of my birth certificate, I contacted the State of NY where I was born and requested a copy. Since it was on record, I did indeed receive a copy. The original remains on file with the state.

I don't know what happened to Obama's birth certificate, but the State of Hawaii has the original and has so stated several times. Here is the lede paragraph from Huffpo dated July 28, 2009.

"State officials in Hawaii on Monday said they have once again checked and confirmed that President Barack Obama was born in Hawaii and is a natural-born American citizen, and therefore meets a key constitutional requirement for being president..
"I ... have seen the original vital records maintained on file by the Hawaii State Department of Health verifying Barack Hussein Obama was born in Hawaii and is a natural-born American citizen," Health Director Dr. Chiyome Fukino said in a brief statement. "I have nothing further to add to this statement or my original statement issued in October 2008 over eight months ago."

I had to obtain a copy of the original. In Obama's case (like maybe it's because he's president) Hawaii has skipped the middle man and verified the existence of an original birth certificate.

So enough already..

[JKoepp8888]

1) In October '08, the Hawaiian government's only comment on the certificate of live birth of Barack Obama was that there was a certificate on file. Nothing was said about the fact that the certificate indicated that he was born in the State of Hawaii. In 1961, a certificate of live birth could be issued for babies born out of the country to American parents. Since Hawaii's government is now confirming that Obama was in fact born in Hawaii, it begs the question, "Why did Obama spend one million plus dollars on legal fees to fight the release of the long form of his birth certificate?"
2) Being born in the United States makes you a U.S. citizen, not necessarily a natural born U.S. citizen. The founding fathers were not natural born citizens, they were born British citizens. For this reason, they wrote into the constitution that all future presidents should be natural born citizens, with the exception of those alive during the signing of the Constitution. Why would they do that? So that future presidents would have no citizenship ties to a foreign government. Barack Obama's father was a British citizen and that citizenship was conferred upon Barack Obama. He is not a natural born citizen. He was a dual citizen at birth. Natural born citizens are those born on U.S. soil to 2 U.S. citizen parents.

[vinainor]

While they're at it, the birther morons should also challenge the origins of Columbia coffee beans or Kobe beef or Canadian maple syrup. Heck, they should also question whether they themselves were born on planet earth.

[KLordsha]

Burpers say that this article proves a cover up in 5...4..3..

[AngelMichael]

The big conspiracy here is keep the progressives busy fighting birthers so they can't fight for healthcare.

wonder what they paid Lou to do that? Maybe it will help ease the burn of applying for unemployment, losing his house, and filing bankruptcy. That's all too good for Lou.

[MikeG2008]

I totally agree!

[AngelMichael]

please sign the petition, I'm seeing thousands of comments against this whole thing, but only one thousand signatures? Put your money where your mouth is people, it only takes a second.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/FireLouDobbs

[Turtleposer]

The reason why I haven't signed is that he has a right to say what he wants, even if we don't like it. CNN is obviously happy with Lou Dobbs. The best vote is by not watching Lou Dobbs & CNN, thus depriving them of market share.

[bluehand]

So, do you think free speech is only for some people. Do you think free speech only goes one way? If Dobbs says something I disagree with; don't I have a wright to "speak freely also? Dobbs, O'Reilly, Hannity, and all the other hate mongers are always touting their free speech, but they certainly don't really believe in it for any one who opposes them. Apparently, neither do you.

[18]

As a supposed responsible journalist, he shouldn't continue a lie. He should be fired. He is hurting the credibility of CNN and therefore is a risk to the company. I would fire him.

[jdenham]

This has got to be the most inane waste of print space I have seen. The Tin foil hats must be selling well in the South.

[Nonpartay]

How about the waste of time, energy, and mone by the employees at the Hawaii Health Department because of these idiots? Fiscal conservatives my eye! If they actually cared about not spending government money, they'd stop making government employees have to work overtime to keep answering the same questions over and over again. Sheesh. Hypocrites!

[Nitalia]

Is anyone other than the Native American Indian "a natural born citizen of the United States of America"? Was George Washington's folks born in America? Was George Washington even born in America? Texas was Mexican territory after the U.S. Constituion was written yet three American Presidents came from Texas. The birthers are either saying Hawaii is not native American territory or they are saying Obama is only 3/5ths a man because he is black (he may be more since he is part white) and he therefore can't be President. This may not make sense, but nothing else they are trying to pull makes any sense either! They are using Alan Keyes as the pitchman to make this look like this isn't about race. They may as well have used Clarence Thomas! Well actually they did use Thomas. He was the only Justice to hear the case before the Supreme Court.- that late got thrown out! Geez America! What do black people have to do in this country to be considered American. Obviously being President doesn't cut it!

[RileyMendez]

Just google U.S. Citizenship, then look under one parent being a U.S. citizen. My Dad was born in MO, my Mom that he met while in the U.S.A.F. was born in Germany, as was I. I am a United States Citizen.What will it take to shut these looney tunes up?

[SB90623]

Different rules for children of military! Not Kenyian Politicians!

[Nonpartay]

Barack Obama was not a Kenyan politician. He was a student married to an American. Barack Obama II is an American, as attested to by the Hawaiian Health Department, by both birthplace and his American mother. What part of all this do you not understand?

[robiform]

Last night, on either "Hardball" or "The Ed Show", one of the guests said something interesting. During the August Congressional recess, most members of Congress go to their home districts to hear what their constituents are talking about. So, if the town hall meeting that took place in Delaware a few weeks ago (the one with the lunatic woman in red waving her alleged birth certificate around) is any indication, most of the Republican representatives will have to talk about the "birth certificate" issue instead of talking about real issues like health care reform, the economy, etc. Oh well, more fodder for YouTube!

[Nonpartay]

Hey, maybe that's a good thing! :) The more they say about health care, the less I like or respect them. It's almost always lies and Republican talking points. Don't these people ever think for themselves? Don't they care about telling the truth?

[AngelMichael]

watch these birthers work, it's really quite peeving the way they sit there and ask the same questions over and over, meanwhile, they take glee on the inside that we are trying to explain it to them. They remain calm and repeat the same talking point about an "original" and something about Kenya.

They get their jollies, it's really quite evil, the way they get energy when we go out of our minds.

It's plain dirty psychological politics, and they are using the basest ways to rile the base to hurt Obama.

Dirty filthy rotten strategies that hurt our country.

[viewfromuphere]

yeh true....but Barack Obama is still president and he's still black and that has got to drive them slightly crazy in their pointed little heads.

Even if they've taken enough Valium not to show it to the rest of us.

[paintpaintpaint]

Have you not noticed it's the GOP way? Repeat repeat repeat. ; Doesn't matter if it's true. Mix in some scary words. Here's what I say:

ANYone who questions the legitimacy of Obama's citizenship is NOT a Patriot. All you need is ONE parent to be a citizen. You're trying to take rightful attention away from Health Care Reform. Although no 'birther' will read the HP, it's like shouting into the wind....

[AngelMichael]

I'm so glad others see what I see

that means 70 million others do too!

they are outnumbered! THANK GOD

[gwes]

they having nothing to drum up, but ignorant and hate.

[sbmulqueen]

I posted this on another page, but I think the new motto for the tr0lls is:

"If you can't dazzle them with brilliance baffle them with bulls&#t." not sure where that phrase comes from, but I'm using it.

[janutb]

Folks, Obama's mother graduated from Mercer Island HS, Washington state, family moved to Hawaii.
Ann the mother, became a student at UH, she met, married, got preg. spent 9 months preg., gave
birth all before she became age 20. Obama Sr was on a scholarship at UH. He was operating on
a shoestring budget, as student. He did not have funds to travel back & forth to Kenya, dragging a
preg. wife to give birth in Kenya. His family was totally against him joining with a "white woman""
They would not be welcomed in Kenya.
The Dunham family had moved to Hawaii, Ann's father was a furniture salesman, Ann's mother began
her job at Bank Of Hawaii in 1960, which took her 10 years to work up to VP at same bank in 1970. They
were not affluent people. HOW THE HECK WERE THEY GOING TO (conspiracy scam) GET AS MANY
PEOPLE IT WOULD TAKE TO PULL OFF, FAKING DOCUMENTS AT THE HOSPITAL AND HAWAII BUREAU OF STATISTICS??????????/
Give me a break, plus in those days, white people in Hawaii were the minority, and not very accepted.
I know, I moved there in 1955 & lived there the next 32 years. White people did not have clout...maybe, the local
white haoles, but not malahini's. After WW2, they were not accepted well at all. I know from personal
experience. If Hawaii state says Obama Junior was born there, then he was born there. You can
take that to the 'bank'

[Abrafo]

Thanks for all the energy you put in to analyzing this and bringing facts (some of it I knew already from reading Obama's books and other writings about him). But sadly I don't think the "Birthers" understand reason like you and me.

[chitown8]

Thank you.

[Nonpartay]

Interesting, and you're certainly right about the racial situation in Hawaii back then. Boy, America sure has had problems with race ever since it started, hasn't it? We somehow don't all realize, even yet, that a human being is a human being no matter what color or background. Well, things are definitely better in Hawaii these days. I was there a few years ago, and we had a great time. But I remember friends from there telling me what it was like back then, and you're confirming everything they said. It's also interesting that Kenya was at the end of the Mau Mau Rebellion at the time of Obama's birth. It would NOT have been a good time for a young white American to go there for any reason, most especially pregnant with a Kenyan's child. Not only that, no airplane would have allowed a woman in her 9th month on the plane. It's all just so silly to even contemplate. These "birthers" are not thinking rationally or sensibly. They need to put themselves in Ann's shoes and ask themselves if they would have done what they are accusing her of. I'm sure the answer would be NEVER.

[bluehand]

It's amazing that your common sense perspective, and that of janutb's is not being said on MSM. Thanks for your post.

[bluehand]

Thanks for the good sense overview. But, you know you're preaching to the chior. Birthers don't have good sense; and they're certainly not interested in the truth.

[FanaticRealist]

This is all a little too Blazing Saddles.

I hope that the President and his staff aren't going to have to build a fake Washington DC before Hedley Lamarr's men ride into town a-whoopin' and a-hollering.

[GovtCheese]

LOL, well you know that's what happens when you get a Black Sheriff!

[Nonpartay]

LMAO!!!